The error launched an investigation by the White Hall Police Department. It also cost male employees of The Waters of White Hall Nursing and Rehab facility several days of work. A mistake by a technologist at the Jefferson Regional Medical Center created suspicion that a nursing home resident may have been assaulted.
In a letter written by JRMC Lab Director Jeff Turner he says, “After two different departmental supervisors reviewed the images (of urine sediment), it was determined that there was no sperm present in the images. The instrument had pre-classified a urine artifact as a sperm cell. Unfortunately, the technologist who originally reported the finding failed to confirm that the pre-classification of the sperm cell was incorrect. This report is to serve as documentation of our findings and our corrective action moving forward to prevent this type of error from happening again.”
On Sunday, a female resident of The Waters of White Hall was in need of medical attention and taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center. When a technologist mistakenly detected the presence of sperm, hospital protocol requires a rape kit to be performed on the woman and police be notified. This policy is triggered when the patient is over the age of 65 or under the age of 14.
White Hall police did take possible evidence to the State Crime lab but it appears that all investigations into this matter have ended.
